Converter attachment for floor type suction cleaners



Feb. 13, 1951 sis. HOWARD 2,541,061

CONVERTER ATTACHMENT FOR FLOOR TYPE SUCTION CLEANERS Filed April 27, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 13,1951 F. s. HOWARD CONVERTER ATTACHMENT FOR FLOOR TYPE SUCTION CLEANERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 27, 1945 Feb. 13, 1951 s, HOWARD 2,541,061

CONVERTER ATTACHMENT FOR FLOOR TYPE SUCTION CLEANERS Patented Feb. 13, v1951 CONVERTER ATTACHMENT FOR FLOOR TYPE SUCTION CLEANERS Frank S. Howard, Chicago, IlL, assignor to Birtman Electric Company, a corporation of Illinois Application April 27, 1945, Serial No. 590,705

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a front attachment for suction cleaners whereby pieces of auxiliary equipment may be communicatingly connected to the air stream normally drawn from the front opening of the cleaner and from there through the dust collector.

Suction cleaners of the type which are portable and which clean rugs and the like by means of a combination of suction and revolving brush have for many years had their utility increased by providing for attachments that could be used in cleaning sofas, draperies, walls, curtains, and the like. In order to use these attachments it was necessary that they be attached in some manner to the cleaner so that the air stream would be diverted from its normal path and would be drawn through the attachment. The structures provided in the past for accomplishing this purpose have often been cumbersome, difficult to attach, and of inefficient construction in that they oftentimes permitted a leakage of air. This invention provides a novel attachment that is substantially airtight, and that can readily be inserted into the cleaner to make communication with the air stream. With this new attachment the proper connections are made merely upon insertion of said attachment, and when the cleaning with the auxiliary equipment is completed the attachment needs only to be withdrawn and the cleaner is immediately and automatically restored to its normal operation.

The invention will be described as related to the typical embodiment illustrated in the accounpanying drawings. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of the cleaner; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fi 3 is a front elevation of the cleaner with the attachment in place and with portions of the cleaner broken away to show the attachment; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the front forked end of the attachment; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section showing an alternate modification of the forked end whereby a more perfect seal is obtained.

In the suction cleaner illustrated there is provided a motor to, a fan H, a fan chamber 12, a rotatable brush it, and a belt l4 leading from an extension of the motor shaft to the rotatable brush for causing rotation therein. There is also provided an air passageway 55 leading from a front opening [6 in the cleaner, immediately below the brush, through the fan chamber 52, and into a dust collecting bag ll. There is also provided a belt guard l8 located around the belt l4 and dividing the air passageway from the front 2 opening to the fan chamber into two parallel sections. This belt guard serves to protect the belt from dust and also minimizes air loss. which would occur if the air flowed in contact with the rapidly moving belt.

In the new cleaner there is provided a front top opening to normally kept closed by means of a hinged door or closure 22). This opening extends down into the cleaner and communicates with the air passageway l5 immediately behind the brush l3. As can be readily seen, when the top closure is in its normally closed position the suction cleaner operates in a normal manner in that all the air is drawn through the bottom opening which is in contact with the rug or the like. Then when the top closure is open there is provided the necessary opening into which an attachment can be inserted. This attachment is an ordinary hollow hose 2! or the like, and has an end portion 22 of a forked construction that can be inserted into the cleaner. The fork 22 has a base 23 of substantially rectangular crosssection, and has two prongs 24 that are scoop shaped in that they are open at the front, and these front openings communicate with openings in the base 23 of the fork adjacent the prongs.

When the attachment is to be used the top door or closure member 20 on the cleaner is raised to an open position and the forked end 22 of the attachment is inserted into the opening, with the open portions of the prongs 24 toward the rear of the cleaner, and shoved in as far as it will go. This fork is so constructed and arranged that the prongs pass on either side of the belt guard l8 and form a tight fit across the parallel portions of the air passageway 5 to seal them off. This diverts the air flow from its normal path, and it is now directed through the attachment. Pieces of auxiliary equipment may then be fastened to the opposite end of the attachment and used in the regular way for cleaning purposes.

As soon as the attachment has served its purpose it is withdrawn from the cleaner and the top door 2!] is turned on its hinge to closed position. The suction cleaner is then again ready for operation in its normal manner.

In order to prevent leakage of air in the cleaner when the attachment is not being used the top hinged door that normally covers the opening is provided with a marginal section of soft rubber 25 or the like to seal the door off. In order to prevent leakage of air while the attachment is in place the fork has a flat plate 26 near the hose, and this plate fits around the edges of the opening E9. 'The marginal area of this plate is also provided with a soft rubber gasket 21 or the like. While the fork is in place there is no substantial loss of air in that the equipment is constructed so that there is a tight fit between the sides of the fork and the walls of the opening. In an alternateembodiment, shown in Fig. 5, the sides of the fork1are provided'with raised longitudinal ridges 28 which have a slidable fit in grooves 29 provided at the corresponding sides of the opening. This construction serves to insure a'tigh'terifit, but if the attachment is carefully constructed, such an arrangement is not absolutely :necessary.

Having described my inventionfin:rconsiderable detail as applied to one embodiment of the same, it is my intention that the invention benot limited to these details, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly-wi'tm in its spirit and scope: as set out in the accomi5anying claims.

I "claim: In a suction cleaner including .a casin having "a top *wall and:aj passagewayJor:dirtladen air extending from the front-to the-rear; of-"the easing, *and a belt guard located in 'said '=casing P below s'aid top "Wall "and dividing said passa'geway ifito twobranches -located on op- I posite sides of -saidfguard; said-top: wall of the *ca-"sing having' an opening above said passage-2 way and communicating with bothbranches 'thereofi'a" converter attachment 'for said cleaner, comprisingr-=a-hllovf body ofbox' like construc- -tion having 'two spaced parallel extensions on at thefront andsides lent-open at -the rear thereqof, saiduextensions being adapted to straddle the belt guard when the attachment is inserted its :full length into said top front opening with the portion of the box-like structure above said extensions being-located within the cleaner cas- Number ing-between the top of the belt guard and said r-top walll-of said eleaner casing.

1'2. 'livhe suctionrcleaner of claim 1 wherein the rear. edges of athe extensions are curved from .said portionnalpove the extensions downwardly and'to the front thereof in a smooth curve to "meet .the bottom of the front closed portions of the extensions.

FRANK. 1 ECW @BEFEBENGE QQ ED The-following referencesrare (of recordyintthe ifil-e'of this=patent1 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS 

